Line pulling friction type exercise device

ABSTRACT

AN INTEGRATED PHYSICAL EXERCISE DEVICE OF THE TYPE UTILIZING A ROPE HAVING TERMINALS TO BE PULLED AGAINST VARIABLE RESISTANCES, THE DEVICE HAVING AN OPEN FRAME STRUCTURE WITHIN WHICH IS MOUNTED SHAFT MEANS ABOUT WHICH MULTIPLE ROPE TURNS ARE WOUND, AND PULL RESISTANCE CONTROL MEANS SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM THE SHAFT MEANS TO SUP-   PORT AN INTERMEDIATE EXTENT OF THE WOUND ROPE IN A MANNER PERMITTING VARIATION OF THE NUMBER OF ROPE TURNS AND THEREFORE THE ROPE PULL RESISTANCE.

Sept. 20, 1971 P. OTTAVIANI 3,606,328

LINE lULLlNG FRICTION TYPE EXERCISE DEVICE Filed June 11, 1968 -m0 INvEN v PETE/Q OTTn v/n/v/ Hr TOQNEVS.

United States Patent Oifice 3,606,323 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 US. Cl.272-79A 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An integrated physicalexercise device of the type util-v izing a rope having terminals to bepulled against variable resistances, the device having an open framestructure within which is mounted shaft means about which multiple ropeturns are wound, and pull resistance control means spaced outwardly fromthe shaft means to support an intermediate extent of the wound rope in amanner permitting variation of the number of rope turns and thereforethe rope pull resistance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention aims to provide improvementsin and departures from known physical exercise devices of the generaltype employing a rope having terminals for manual pull manipulationsagainst frictional resistance to movement of an intermediate extent ofthe rope.

Heretofore, some exercise devices have imposed such resistance bywrapping multiple and variable turns of the rope about a shaft.Different expedients have been em ployed for variation of the number ofwound turns of the rope, notably by rotation of a rope supporting andguide means relative to the shaft, or by arrangements otherwiserequiring multiple relatively moving parts.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION A general object of the invention is toprovide a unitary exercise device which is reduced to simple, practicaland economical form possessing the full functional requirements desiredin this type of exerciser, and having various advantages over theconventional devices by reason of greater simplicity in use and variablecontrol, which result from its unique structure.

Generally contemplated is a unitized construction employing suspendableshaft means about which the inter mediate rope extent is wrapped inmultiple turns, and rope pull control means mounted in spaced and openlyac cessible relation with the shaft means so as to easily and visiblypermit variation of the wrapped turns by replace able looped supportaway from the shaft means. Being symmetrically located in relation tothe rope turns, the control means assures equal pull resistance at therope terminals.

In its more specific aspects the invention contemplates accommodation ofthe shaft and control means within an open frame structure which servesalso to mount guides receiving the rope released from the shaft meansand di recting free extents of the rope convergently to relativelyclosely spaced release locations.

A preferred form of the invention employs a suspendable frame, bridgedto junctures with its side extents by an essentially horizontal smoothsurface shaft which receives the rope through frame-carried guides belowthe shaft. Top and bottom portions of the frame serve to mount theopenly centered control means which may be in the form of simple hooksspaced above and below the shaft and about which the rope may be easilylooped.

The invention will be more fully understood from the followingdescription of an illustrative embodiment shown by the accompanyingdrawing in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a view showing the exercisedevice in ele vation;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on broken line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse broken section on line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to intermediate FIG. 2 showing the shaft ropelooped over the lower retaining means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1 the devicecomprises a strong rigid metal frame, generally indicated at 10, theupper sides 11 of which diverge downwardly at about to the intermediateshaft supporting extents 12, below which the sides continue at 13convergently to junctures with the bottom integral guide loops 14. Theframe may be suspended, or supported in inverted position for upwardrope pull, in any suitable manner as simply by a hook 15 inserted withinthe frame apex at 16 which is the top center of the frame symmetrybelow.

Rigidly bridging and joined at 17 to the frame side extents 12 is asomewhat larger diameter smooth surface shaft 18 which in the suspendedor supported use condition of the device is essentially horizontal. Theshaft length is such as to accommodate up to the number of rope turnsthat will provide maximum useable resistance to rope pull against thefrictional resistance of the turns to pulled slippage about the shaft.Below that maximum resistance the rope turns and resistance may beprogressively reduced to zero.

The rope 19, typically of woven nylon, has free terminal extents 20 withhandles 21 from which the rope passes upwardly through guides 14 andupper guide loops 22 welded to the frame directly below the shaft 18.The intermediate rope extent between guides 22 may be given the desirednumber of turns on the shaft by grasping the rope opposite the shaftcenter and looping it one or more times about the shaft.

Provision is made for releasably retaining the rope extending betweenequal turns on the shaft, at locations 23 and 24 spaced respectivelyabove and below the shaft and in alinement with the frame vertical axis.The rope support at 24 may be formed simply as a smoothly curved innersurface hook 25 depending from the frame bridge piece 26, and thesupport at 24 as a reversibly turned upstanding similar hook 27 weldedto the frame between the guides 14. These supports serve as resistancecontrol means for the rope pull in that by releasably retaining therope, the latter may be given variable numbers of turns about the shaftand restored to either of the supports which thus accommodate the ropefor increments of half turns. When released from both supports the ropedrops free of the shaft.

In use the exerciser is manipulated by pulling alternately the handledrope terminals against the equally balanced frictional resistancesimposed by the turns about the shaft, as well as the resistance topulling of the upwardly or downwardly convergent rope extents slidableagainst the inside surfaces of the hooks 25 or 27.

Of particular practical significance is the open exposure given theshaft and supports at 23 and 24 within the essentially coplanar frame,which permits clear observation of the rope condition on the shaft, aswell as ready access to the supports for quick variation of the ropeturns and pull resistances that may require changes to serve thepurposes of prescribed exercise sequences.

It is to be understood that the drawing is illustrative of the inventionin a typical though preferred form and that various changes in detailsmay be made without departure from the intended spirit and scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. An exercise device comprising an open frame having a top portionsuspendable from a support and downwardly extending side portions,normally horizontal, straight shaft means within and having terminalportions engaged by said frame, a rope having successive turns wrappedabout said shaft means and terminals for manual manipulation to pull therope against the frictional resistance of its shaft means engagement,frame supported, hook-like, rope passing resistance control meansoperable to receive a distended looped extent of the rope intermediateshaft-wrapped turns and to permit variation of the number of the wrappedturns on said shaft means, and rope guide means carried by the frame andpositioned below and spaced from the shaft means for passing terminalextents of the rope, said frame extending continuously about the shaftmeans to support said control means and said guide means in a commonplane with said shaft means.

2. An exercise device according to claim 1, in which said resistancecontrol means is positioned centrally of the number of rope turns on theshaft means and receives convergent extents of the rope.

3. An exercise device according to claim 1, in which said shaft means isa straight smooth surface shaft joined with said side portions of theframe.

4. An exercise device according to claim 3, in which said resistancecontrol means is carried by the frame and is spaced outwardly and freefrom the wrapped longitudinal center of the shaft.

5. An exercise device according to claim 4, in which said control meansis located both above and below the shaft.

6. An exercise device according to claim 3, including also a pair ofupper guide means carried by the frame at spaced locations directing therope extents passing from the shaft, and lower rope passing guide meanscarried by the frame at relatively closer spaced locations to which therope extents converge from the upper guide means.

7. An exercise device according to claim 6 in which said resistancecontrol means is carried by the frame centrally above and below thelongitudinal center of the shaft.

8. An exercise device according to claim 7, in which said resistancecontrol means are essentially rope-passing hooks carried by the frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,197,204 7/ 1965 Holkesvick etal 272-79 637,709 11/1899 Connelly 18865.3

3,472,510 10/ 1969 Holkesvick 27279(A)UX FOREIGN PATENTS 75,405 5/ 1894Germany 27279 289,404 7/1953 Switzerland 1825 RICHARD C. PINKHAM,Primary Examiner W. R. BROWNE, Assistant Examiner

